Twelve
by Orwhatwehave
Summary: Post DH. Twelve hours is a very long time to spend with someone you disagree with.
1. 11 O'Clock

"Ginny..."

"Harry..."

"So..."

"What's up?"

"Intelligent question you've got there."

"No more dumb than your one syllable wonders, Mr I-Just-Saved-The-World-By-Dying-And-Chucking-A-Jesus."

"Interesting nickname- you should use it more often, Miss Touchy. But perhaps it would be better if it were abbreviated to Mr IJSTWBDACAJ. Easier to say when in a rush, which you always seem to be in these days. Then again, if you're really rushed perhaps just 'Harry' would do well."

"How in the name of Merlin's most polkadotted underwear did you remember all those letters? And I am not in a rush- at least not all the time!"

"Hey, you said it before- I just saved the world. There's got to be some skill in there to credit to my name. And you are too."

"You are so... ergh!"

"Ergh? Care to elaborate?"

"You sure you want me to do that for you?"

"If I wasn't sure then why would I be asking the damn question?"

"Temper, temper. What is it we're talking about, anyway?"

"You called me ergh!"

"I know _that_- what about before that?"

"I have no idea."

"But we _were_ talking about something."

"Obviously."

"What was it?"

"I already said that I have no idea."

"There has to be a subject?"

"Not all conversa-... Can't you just just let it drop, Gin?"

"You were being insufferable, arrogant and cocky, and have been so ever since this damn war was all tidied up."

"Wha?"

"You asked me to elaborate; who am I to refuse to do the great Harry Potter's bidding, or judge as to what his most sacred ears wish to hear?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Harry?"

"..."

"Harry, you're standing right in front of me, and I'm not blind. Or at least I hope not, or I'm seeing..."

"You don't really think I'm like that, do you."

"Well... only some of the time. It's really only a minor majority of the periods in the space-time continuum during which I occupy the place within 20 metres of your personal bubble."

"..."

"Jeesh, for the greatest hero of the wizarding world, I sometimes forget how short-sighted your education's been."

"My education has not--"

"Oh yes it has, and you know it- the only general, broad knowledge you received was until you were ten years old- and that was eight years ago. The rest has been just spells."

"You went to exactly the same school as me."

"You didn't even complete seventh year!"

"Oh, sorry, I was off saving the world as we know it. Sorry that I had to come back a year later to graduate; and with _you_."

"Will you just stop that?!"

"Stop what?"

"Mentioning how... how damned 'great' you are... how you saved the world! You used to be fun! You used to not care about power and greatness. You used to--"

RIINNNNGGG

"--have the ability to--"

"Um... Gin?"

"Harry."

"I hate to stop your meaningful, humbling rant and all that, but we're going to be late for class."

"Oh."

"What do we have next, anyway?"

"That new class... with that new teacher... what was her name again?"

"_His_ name is Professor Hearn; the class is Basic Healing."

"Oh. Say, Gin, could you remind me again _why_ I chose to take this... this... Basic Healing."

"I wouldn't know. You just wrote down the same classes as me. At the moment I think our dear Ronald is taking Herbology and _his_ dear Hermione is in some Extension Potions class. Who knows, this could be enlightening."

"..."

"Look, whether this is interesting or not, we really have to go. You don't want to make a bad impression do you?"

"_Why_ did I choose the same subjects as her?" Harry mumbled to himself as he followed the redhead down the corridor. His gaze was drawn to her beautiful long hair, before being drawn further lower. He grinned wickedly.

"Oh. That's why."

** After Class **

"Well that _was _enlightening, but not in the way I expected it to be."

"It certainly was interesting. Whatever do you mean?"

"You can't tell me you didn't notice."

"Notice what?"

"Notice _him_."

"You mean Professor Hearn? Well, he_ is_ rather good-looking, isn't he? And rather young, to be a qualified teacher. But I didn't know you swung that way."

"Ergh, gross. Not that. The way he looked at you. That was most definitely _not_ how a 'qualified teacher' looks at his student."

"He never..."

"No... You really didn't notice? The whole class realised."

"Harry!"

"..."

"Harry, you're just being paranoid, I'm sure."

"Annoyed? Yes. Paranoid? No. Just because the school was so short of teachers after half of them _died_ does _not_ mean they have the authority to employ such a scumbag."

"Harry, he isn't a scumbag! He was teaching us!"

"Giving us a few tips on how to blatantly flirt, was he now? 'Oh, but Miss Weasley, you're holding your wand all wrong- allow me to fix it for you'! He was all_ over _you!"

"It was a lesson, Harry. You're supposed to teach people. Even if it means modifying a student's wand grip."

"That's not the only thing he was doing. He--"

"..."

"..."

"He what, Harry? What did he do to get you so worked up?"

"He—nothing, really."

"My point precisely! I'm supposed to say here that if I didn't know better, you're jealous, but I do know better- and you _are_ jealous!"

Their conversation so absorbed them that neither paid any heed to the direction of their movement, and before they knew it, Ginny had lead them through a doorway and into a very small room- if it could even be called a room. The door slammed behind them, and Ginny was thrown against a wall. Trying the handle, Harry found that they were locked in.

"Where... where are we?"

"I have no bloody idea."

"Try the door."

"Already have."

"Any windows?"

"Does it look like there are any windows- I see exactly what you see!"

"All I can see is a stone wall- you're not exactly holding off the pressure there."

"Oh. Sorry."

"..."

"..."

"Much better. Now, you're sure there's no way of escape?"

"Positive, Gin."

"What if we try yelling for help?"

"Silencing spells, Gin."

"Cursing the door open?"

"No way- I am not going to blow us up just so that someone can freely enter to see our corpses."

"You're really that bad at explosion spells?"

"No... I just can only perform them for their purpose, which happens to be exploding things."

"So how are we going to get out?"

"Maybe we're not meant to get out."

"You mean we're going to be stuck in here until we die of starvation? That door won't let food-summoning spells go through it!"

"Relax, Gin. Besides, even if we _were_ going to die of starvation I'd be sure to let you eat me."

"Such honour; such gallant chivalry. I swoon with thankfulness."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. So, we're supposed to wait in here until someone stumbles upon us?"

"No, we wait here until Hermione performs her wonderful Head Duties tonight and checks every nook and cranny in the castle."

"Oh. Ok."

"..."

"What do we do for the next... twelve hours?"

"Dunno. You think of something."

Ginny smiled. "I think I may have a few ideas"

**A/N: Hey, peops. Next chapter **_**very**_** soon. Thought I'd try my hand at a majority dialogue fic. Sorry, it'll have a few DH spoilers, but I chose not to put that in the summary as I figure that most sane people reading HP fanfiction at the moment will have finished said book; ****better not to read this**** if you haven't. Review!!!!**** I love you all!!!!**


	2. Half Past 11

_"What do we do for the next... twelve hours?"_

_"Dunno. You think of something."_

_Ginny smiled. "I think I may have a few ideas"_

"So, remind me, how does this go again?"

Ginny sighed. "I've explained this explicitly already.

"Yeah, but a few of the intricacies have chosen this moment to swiftly escape the depths of my mind."

Ginny snorted.

"That was most unladylike."

"That's good then. I'm not a lady."

They were sitting, crosslegged, as best they could, a large bottle of Butterbeer between them. The conditions were such that Ginny was almost on Harry's lap, but they had to make do with the situation.

"..."

"Fine then. As you already know, we'd usually use firewhiskey--"

"—but we're two hormonal teenagers of the opposite sex confined in a small space with nothing to do, so it's best we don't get off our faces. Right."

"Right. I ask a question, or rather, make a comment beginning with the phrase 'I've Never'--"

"—and if it's a lie then we take a swig. Right."

"Right. That's about it, really. You wanna go first?"

"Nope, you'd better. You probably have better questions than me."

"Remind me again, why am I doing this?"

"You were bored; I was bored; we decided to do something fun."

"Fun?"

"It was your idea!"

"You made me think up something!"

"Let's not argue- please? Besides, we may learn something from this experience."

"Maybe."

"..."

"Huh?"

"You're turn first."

"Oh. Ok then."

"..."

"Hmm... let's see... I've never dated someone out of pity."

One swig. Two shocked faces.

"Who?"

"Michael Corner. I thought you would've... the whole Cho fiasco..."

"As hard as it is to believe, I actually liked her at the time."

"Ergh. Anyway, your turn."

"Umm..."

"Waiting..."

"All right then. I've never kissed someone of my own sex."

Two swigs. Two shocked faces.

"Harry!"

"Ginny!"

"I did have a Godfather, you know."

"That doesn't count!"

"Well, sorry then, I should have specified. Who was yours?"

"Great Auntie Muriel."

"You're blushing. That and your earlier response tell me not to believe you."

"What is this, Truth or Dare?"

"No, but that's an idea."

"Let's finish this game first, shall we?"

"Your turn."

"I've never had sex."

No swigs. One shocked face.

"I thought you would've...I mean to say, you're an eighteen and male..."

"When? Last year, when I was chasing after those horcruxes? The year before, when I was with you? Or did you think perhaps with Cho?"

"I... I didn't... You didn't... Not even a one-night stand?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Ok then."

"You sound surprised."

"Oh... I'm not... not really... I didn't think..."

"You didn't."

"..."

"My turn, then. I've never dumped someone."

Two swigs. No surprises there.

"Boring- that was a pointless one. You know that you've dumped me and I've dumped Dean."

"I couldn't think of anything. You try, 'Miss Weasley', to think of something worthy of approval."

"Um..."

"Yes?"

"It's hard, okay? Give me a minute will ya?

"As you wish."

"..."

"..."

"I've never fallen in love with a fictional character."

One swig. Two shocked faces.

"Who?"

"Will Darcy, if you must know. From Pride and Prejudice."

"But that's a muggle book!"

"No its not- how do you think a female became a best seller in the early nineteenth century."

"I thought she wrote under a male alias."

"Muggle stories, made up by wizards to disguise the truth. Frankly I'm surprised you've never fallen in love with someone who wasn't real."

"Not me- I was never really that much into books; Dudley didn't read much and the Dursleys weren't exactly jumping to buy me any. No movies either- I never saw very many. A few of the actors were pretty hot though, in retrospect."

"Harry!"

"What?"

"..."

"What?"

"Nothing. Your turn."

"Nah, I can't think of anything- your last one was pretty good, you do one for us."

"If you insist..."

"I do."

"Harry, please don't say that when I'm in a very small room with you."

"As you wish."

"What's gotten into you?!"

"For Merlin's sake Ginny just think up a bloody 'I never'."

"Temper, temper."

"Ginny..."

"Fine then. I've never... performed an Unforgivable."

She did not know why she had said it, of all things, but as she saw the glass being raised slowly to his lips, she had to stop him.

"No, Harry. You don't have to answer that one. It was stupid."

"No it wasn't. It was very good. Not perhaps the most sensitive thing you've ever said, but rather interesting. I'm taking it that you haven't?"

"Merlin, no. When... who...which... did you..."

"When? The war, when else? A little before that too. Who? Too many; far too many. A few death eaters a goblin... Which ones? Imperius... except once... I used the..."

"No... Harry... really... stop, I don't need to know." There were tears in her eyes, and her voice was soft.

"Do you want to, though?" His voice matched hers.

"I don't know... no, I don't... but I do... oh, Harry."

"It's alright- I understand. Don't sweat it."

"But I _don't _understand."

"And I for one would rather it would stay that way."

Ginny ducked her head in reply.

"We're not playing this 'I never' game anymore, are we."

"No."

"Damn."

"We couldn't play it without using more magic, anyhow."

"Why not?"

"We've run out of Butterbeer."

**Review, if you please- it makes me feel warm and fuzzy. ****Sorry this one's short, but since this kind of story is so easy to write I should be able to post more often. I'm actually rather enjoying myself. Anywho, review****; alerts are good too****! I love you all!**

**Bree**


	3. 12 O'Clock

_"We're not playing this 'I never' game anymore, are we."_

_"No."__"Damn."_

_"We couldn't play it without using more magic, anyhow."_

_"Why not?"_

_"We've run out of Butterbeer."_

"Do you want me to conjure up some more for us, then?"

"Nah. Half a litre each is more than enough. Besides, Harry, when will you learn that I can do these things for myself?"

"I _know_ that, I'm just-"

"Being the ever-chivalrous knight in shining armour? Yeah, I thought so."

"Gin, you _know _that's not fair!"

"Isn't it?"

The long silence that followed could have been cut with a bread knife, so thick it was. Twenty-five minutes, and close to the end of a chapter later, the reply finally came:

"What happened to us, Gin?"

**Short chapter, much? Hoping that the next may answer AuthorCook's comment about Harry and Ginny being so random to each other only shortly after being deeply in love... Yeah, I know, it's not quite ****as**** fun as the first chappie, but they're in this room for **_**twelve hours**_**. They've got to explore something deep at **_**some**_** stage...**** and be silent at others.**** Luv ya, as always, and relishing in all those alerts, hits and that tiny spattering of reviews (hint, hint),**

**Bree**


	4. Half Past 12

_"Gin, you know that's not fair!"_

_"Isn't it?"_

_The long silence that followed could have been cut with a bread knife, so thick it was. Twenty-five minutes, and close to the end of a chapter later, the reply finally came:_

_"What happened to us, Gin?"_

"..."

"Gin?"

"How do you expect me to answer that one, Harry?"

"..."

"Harry?"

"I dunno. I just... wanted to break the silence..."

"With a question you've wanted to ask since your first day back here?"

"Well... yes...how did you know?"

"That doesn't matter."

"..."

"How would _you _answer it?"

"I asked _you._"A glare. "Hmm...that requires a little thought."

"And we all know how difficult that is for Harry dearest. I'll give you as long as you need."

"..."

"..."

"If you had asked, I would say that what few ideas I had were vague. I left you, for a good reason... you kissed me- and here I was thinking that it meant you still felt for me... I went off after Voldemort and killed him- at the cost of many lives, including Fred's... when I visited the Burrow a couple of times over the holidays, you refused to talk to me... you still do. That is, until today."

"..."

"Ginny, say something."

"..."

"Gin..."

"..."

"..."

"Again, I ask what you expect me to say to that... that... spiel..."

"I expect you to reply in _some_ shape or form, at the very least."

"And tell you what, Harry? Tell you about how long and hard I waited for you to return when you were off saving the world? Tell you how difficult it is to be at this school, when it holds so many harsh memories of torture and torment by my teachers... and of being with you. Tell you that every time I tuned into the radio and heard them hoping for your survival, it was all I could do not to burst into tears? Tell you how, as stupid as it seems now, I had almost thought of the war as a dream- that it affected other people's friends and family, not my own. Tell you how rudely I was awakened from that dream..."

"..."

"..."

"Oh, Gin. It's ok."

"No! It's not ok! I was stupid and ignorant and selfish, and it cost me all but my sanity. They _died_ Harry, and only I can take the blame for not being there for them when they did. I... I can't be with you when so much guilt is laid upon me."

"Gin, that guilt is not yours to bear." He smiled at her. "Share the load- spread it round. Would you turn from your happiness at the cost of mine _and _yours?"

"..."

"I'll give you time to think about it."

"Thank you." Her voice was very small. Tentatively he wrapped his arms around her, stretched his legs out and pulled her onto his lap. She turned her chin so she was snuggling against his chest. Minutes passed in this way.

"Thank you." She said again.

"You're welcome." His voice vibrated in his chest, making her giggle.

He looked at her.

"What?"

"Mr Deep Voice..."

"Hey, that's not my fault..."

"Hey, I didn't say it was a bad thing. It just tickles."

"Tickles, does it? Well then, Ms Ticklish, does this tickle?"

He ran his fingers along her bare toes; they had discarded their shoes half an hour ago.

"No."

"Hmph. I don't believe you."

"Oh yes you do. You just don't want to admit that your evil tickling plan failed. As they always do. You _know_ I'm not ticklish."

"Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Just think of all the things I forgot about you."

"Like?"

"Like..." She gazed down at their legs, searching for a reason. "Like how incredibly tall you are. You've got to be a foot taller than me!"

"I'm not _that_ tall. You're just short. And I forgot loads about you too."

"Like?"

"Is this turning into a game or something?"

"It could be."

"Indeed, it could. _Another_ game."

"Hmm...I forgot that you weren't ticklish."

"That's cheating! You've already said that one."

"No, _you_ said that one."

"..."

"Outsmarted, once again, by the notoriously hand-"

"That's it. I forgot how downright cocky you are."

"If you had people giving you this much attention, you would be too. And I was _joking_. I remember now: you didn't know what the word sarcasm meant. I actually had to tell you."

"Don't bring _that _up again. I told you to forget that."

"And so I did."

"But you remembered again, and brought it up."

"Well, duh. That's what this... game... is about, isn't it?"

"Guess so." She pouted.

"I forgot how cute you look when you do that."

"Hey, it's _my_ turn."

"Can't a guy compliment his..." Awkward pause. "Ex?"

She laughed. "Not if he's calling her cute."

"That's right- I forgot that you hate being called cute."

"Hey, you would too if you had six older brothers. And that's twice you've taken my turn."

"Fine then, your go. But you _do_ look cute."

"Hmph."

"..."

"I forgot... I forgot..." She grinned cheekily. "I forgot how good a kisser you were." And turning, she lifted her head to capture his lips with hers.

**Like it? Hate it? Love it? Wish I'd never written it? ****Sorry, once again, about the length. ****Review! I luv ya'll!**

**Bree**


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